


A Tale of Glass

by Mystic_Ender



Category: Five Nights at Freddy's
Genre: Alternate Universe, Cinderella AU, M/M, also jeremy wears a dress to the ball, i basically got talked into writing this, it makes sense with the story though don't worry, so uh, when i thought i wouldn't, yeah - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-06
Updated: 2020-08-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:35:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25755211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mystic_Ender/pseuds/Mystic_Ender
Summary: Once Upon a Time. The start of every fairy tale begins this way, and this one will not be an exception. In a small kingdom far, far away lived a small family. They weren't the richest, but they loved each other. They sold what they could to get by, they supported each other when they were sick. They were happy together.But, there are always opportunities for someone to be happier, and sometimes, those opportunities present themselves as someone you meet in the woods soon before dark.
Relationships: Michael Afton/Jeremy Fitzgerald
Comments: 2
Kudos: 17





	1. Chapter 1

Beyond the clouds and the hills, beyond the deep blue oceans, there was a small kingdom. They weren’t the biggest, they weren’t the richest, but its populace lived happily. They walked the cobbled streets, smiling and laughing with each other as they lived their lives. Children ran around their mother’s skirts, little girls learned how to sew, little boys learned the art of their fathers. The church bells rang at each wedding, and people cheered for each new couple that left the doors of the church.

In this tiny kingdom lived a little family, their stone mansion standing tall in the woods that surrounded it. The sun shone through the leaves, casting patterns on the beaten dirt path that led to it. Chickens ran around happily, chasing each other for the last of that morning’s food. Though, they quickly scattered when the wooden door slammed open, revealing a fairly tall blond boy, his brown eyes shining at the sight of the sun.

“Jeremy, wait for me!” A voice said from behind him, and his sister panted as she reached him. Her brown dress was frayed at the bottom of the skirt, and her hair was a mess despite the braid that kept it mostly together. She was shorter than him, and younger, too. Donna had always been a little ray of sunshine, bringing smiles along where she went. “Mom said to help you milk the cows!”

The blond raised a brow as he looked his sister over, how she played with her nails absentmindedly, how her head always seemed to want to turn around to see if someone or something was following her. Her smile looked a little forced around the edges, too. She was lying. It would have been well done, too, though too bad for her, Jeremy knew her like the back of his hand.

“...And if I were to ask Mom to confirm this, she would agree?” He asked, trying to keep the smirk off his face at the growing look of horror that appeared on his sister’s face. Donna started shaking her head from side to side, violently waving her hands in front of her to tell him to shut up as he opened his mouth to call out to his mother.

“Don’t!” She hissed out, finally putting her hands on her brother’s mouth. Jeremy simply poked his tongue out so that it touched her sister’s fingers, and sure enough, she released him with a small screech. She glared at him violently, wiping her hand on the apron tied at her waist. “Mom is trying to teach me sewing again. You know I hate it! Just… please, Jeremy?”

“...Alright,” Jeremy sighed, before handing his sister a bucket. She caught it between her hands, a triumphant smile on her face as she held it. It would take a little longer today since he would need to teach her how to properly do it, but a bit of extra help wouldn’t hurt. Who knows, she might pick it up quickly. “But you have to walk to Dad’s grave with me.”

She nodded as they made their way towards the run-down barn in the back, hay covering most of the tiny path. After their father died, Jeremy and his mom had sold most of their cows if only to pay for the funeral and to take care of the house while they got back on their feet. Dandelion and Darling were the only two remaining, and they provided most of the milk they used. Sometimes when they had a little extra more left, Jeremy brought it with him to the market to sell it at their stand along with eggs and various vegetables they could grow in the greenhouse.

“Alright, let me show you how we do it,” Jeremy said, guiding Donna to Darling. She was the less temperamental of the two. Dandelion had taken days for him to befriend after they fired the servants of the household that usually took care of the cows. She had nearly kicked him in the head a couple of times, and so, Jeremy decided not to try and murder his sister by taking her to Darling. He pulled the tiny wooden stool and patted it so that she sits down.

Donna hesitantly made her way towards the cow and sat down on the stool, back straight as she stared at the munching cow. Darling didn’t even look bothered, only turning to look at who was there before going back to eating the hay given to her earlier that morning. Jeremy took his sister’s hands and guided her towards the cow’s udder and Donna recoiled.

“I’m… I’m not touching that,” She hissed out, trying to forcefully take her hands away from her brother’s grip. She looked disgusted, eyes wide in horror.

“You want to go back inside and sew?” He asked her, lifting a brow. He stared at Donna, who stared right back at him before sighing and grumbling. She still cringed when she showed her how to do it before going to Dandelion. The work had been done fairly quickly, and Donna helped Jeremy bottle the extra milk into bottles for the market before they made their way out and towards the other path that gave to the family’s graveyard.

The path had trees all along with it, and it always seemed quieter than the others Jeremy took. The sun always made the leaves of the trees appear a soft gold in the autumn but seeing it was the middle of the summer, it was a soft red. Jeremy and Donna remained silent as they walked the path, mostly because talking didn’t feel right in the peacefulness this section of the forest radiated.

Their father’s grave stood under a willow, its branches swaying in the soft wind. The stone was cracking already, and soft moss started filling the cracks over the recent years despite their family’s care of it. A rose was carved into the rock, a request of their mother. It had cost extra money, but Jeremy and Donna hadn’t minded. They wanted the best for their father, even in death. They both sat down on the wooden bench near it, Donna putting her head on her brother’s shoulder.

“Do you ever miss him?” She whispered, listening to the rustling leaves. Her breath almost sounded too loud for the place, and she waited for her brother to answer patiently. She had only been seven years old when he died, and she barely knew him from the number of times he had left. Jeremy had known him better, and remembered him better, from the trips he had been on with their father.

“All the time,” He confirmed, sighing. There were moments where he panicked because he barely remembered his father’s face. The only reason he remembered it was because of the painting above the hearth, and even then, he barely remembered the various expressions his father’s face took. Jeremy knew he had his father’s smile, though, from the number of times his mother mentioned it. “I wish he had been around longer.”

“Mom keeps saying that we were lucky to have him around for as long as we did,” Donna told him, fist-clenching on the brown skirt of her dress. The blonde girl was around their mother more often than Jeremy was because of his tasks, and thus was the one to live through her rant over and over again about their father. Their mother forgot more things recently, more than she did when they were younger. It was heartbreaking, but they learned to bear whatever thing she repeated. “Why did he have to be sick?”

“I don’t know,” Jeremy told her, patting her hand as reassuringly as he could. “I don’t know.”

They remained for a little longer, listening to the birds and wind, before bidding farewell to their father and slowly making their way back home. Jeremy had to be at the market soon, after all. Even if they didn’t have a whole lot to sell at the moment, he had to be there to get as much money as he could. He hoped the milk, eggs, and salad would bring around enough money for the week this time around.

\---------------

“Sire, in all due respect, if the populace is to find out…” A voice said from the other side of the door Michael stood in front of. The wood muffled most of the rest of the sentence, and Michael strained his ear to try and find out what was being said. He had an idea of what was being talked about, but he had to hear for himself. He had to hear the confirmation that they knew, the confirmation that he would need to confront his father about this and deny the truth despite the bile that would sting his tongue at lying through his teeth. When he was about to knock to enter and defend himself, the door flew open, revealing the sight of his father’s advisor. 

“Your father awaits, My Prince,” She said simply, voice as cold as ever. Michael can’t remember ever seeing her express emotions if she physically could at all. For all he knew, she had been carved out of ice and given life, without the concept of human emotions given to her. Though, that was exaggerating. She breezed past him, her long platinum blond hair hitting him in the face. He rubbed his face a bit as if to remove the hair that hit him before entering his father’s study.

His father’s study always was bigger than it needed to be. The ceilings looked higher than they actually were, a crystal chandelier hanging from it. A large carpet covered the floor, books covered the walls along with ridiculously big paintings of their family. Michael couldn’t help but stare at the biggest of them, the last one with their mother in it. She had died soon after its completion, and it seems the artist decided to make her look as healthy as he could. She had his younger brother in her arms, Michael’s younger sister was at her feet, and himself was standing behind her chair with his father’s hand on his shoulder. It looked stiff, and rightfully so. Michael had always been uncomfortable around his father since his mother turned sick.

“Michael,” His father’s cold voice echoed around the room despite how full it was, and it caused the freckled man to turn around to stare. His father was seated at his desk, hands folded on the wood’s surface. The desk and himself looked small because of the hugeness of the room, but truly, his father stood easily taller than him. “Come here. I have something to talk to you about.”

“What is it, Father?” He asked, trying to keep his voice as confident as possible as he stood straight. One thing he learned, was that if he didn’t appear confident at all times, appeared as if he didn’t hide anything, his father’s gaze would slip through the cracks and interrogate him. He would dig for whatever secrets Michael held. Which, was why he was trembling on the inside while he appeared to be cold on the outside. “Is something the matter?”

“Sit down,” He commanded and waited for Michael to sink in the wine red chair in front of him before continuing. His gaze was cold and calculating on him, and Michael almost wanted to shiver from it. “You are nineteen, now. The age I was when I married your mother,”

“Yes,” Michael replied nervously. His father’s gaze narrowed slightly and reached for the paper and ink. A huge feather sat in the little pot, and the man on the other side of the desk started writing immediately, not even bothering to look up at his son before continuing.

“You have never mentioned having someone on your mind, I believe,” He continued, pausing to look up before continuing with whatever he was doing. Michael tried to peek at what the paper said, and from the fancy wording used, it sounded a lot like an announcement that would be sent to someone. Who, though, he had no idea. “Hm. We will have to change that.”

“What do you mean?”

“A ball, of course.” A smile grew on his father’s face, and some would see it as charming and benevolent when in reality it looked cruel. It was the gaze of a shark, it was the last thing someone saw before life was taken away from them. Something sank into Michael’s gut when he realized the reason he had been summoned, when he realized where his father was going with this. William wouldn’t even bother to interrogate him on his interest in men, wouldn’t even bother screaming at him about it. No. He would do something about it, and that something meant arranging an event where he would be obligated to choose a wife in less than a night. “You will surely find someone of interest, there, yes?”

“...Will it be open to the populace?” He asked slowly. At the very least, if there was something to be arranged, he would prefer it to be larger than isolated to the pompous court his father held. They always giggled at the sight of him, as if he was only but a ridiculous child pretending to be a grown-up. They were always sweeter to his siblings than him, and he had no idea why. 

“Why, what an amazing idea!” His father’s grin grew sharper, and his eyes shone dangerously under the crystal chandelier. He took another paper and dipped the feather in the ink before starting to write on the paper. Michael assumed it was an official announcement to be given to the people that lived in their small kingdom. “It will certainly entertain the populace. You have to understand, of course, that they will simply be too much… so we have to restrict it to only the maidens being invited. They can have company, of course...”

“Of course,” Michael choked out, a knot growing in his throat. No matter what he did, he would be forced to be stuck in a marriage he wasn’t happy with. He would be forced to be with someone he didn’t love if only to keep appearance he was a normal future king to those they ruled. 

“Give this to Vanessa on your way out,” William said, handing him a roll of paper that contained the announcement. This was an obvious dismissal, and Michael took the paper before leaving his father’s study, the doors closing behind him with a loud sound of finality. There was no backing out of this. His fist clenched on the paper as anger simmered in his gut.

He needed to get out.

HIs steps resonated around him, the servants making sure to stick close to the walls as he passed by. He had made sure to stop one on his way, telling him to give this to his father’s advisor before ducking into his room. He couldn’t stay in the castle, and without anyone recognizing him immediately. He kept some clothing a commoner would wear if only for those secret outings he had. They were a bit fancier than what some would wear, but it was enough for him to grab his horse and duck into the town.

His way to the stables was fairly easy, no one bothered to interrupt him as he kept close to the walls as a servant would. It was a miracle that no one ever told his father of these outings, and for that he was grateful. He supposed that anyone who worked here knew of the true nature of his father, they knew of the façade he put up when in public. He ducked into the stables and mounted his horse before getting out and into town. He passed most of the bystanders and went for the forest.

He didn’t know how deep into the woods he was until he looked around him… 

...and found that he didn’t recognize the spot.

Shit.

\---------------

“Tell your mother hello for me, sweetheart!” A woman greeted as she walked away, the last of Jeremy’s salad and eggs in her basket. Miss Jones was the mother of one of the servants that once worked for them, and Jeremy and his family had expected her to be bitter when they fired her daughter. Instead, the woman and her family came to his father’s funeral and always make sure to buy something from them when it’s time for the market. She was wonderful, and the blond would forever be grateful to her.

“I will! Don’t break your hip on your way back home!” He greeted back, waving her goodbye. Her loud laugh could be heard once what Jeremy said last registered, and the blond smiled as he slowly started packing his stuff. He folded the cloth that covered the table, its once pure white color now a more brown-ish. The people around him also started to pack their stuff, counting their money as they went. Jeremy had done that already and sighed as he saw the meager amount in his hand. They might come up short again this week.

The marketplace was fairly calm as the sun set over the horizon, bathing everything in a warm orange glow. The night would rise soon, bringing twinkling silver stars and its calm danger to those who were in the woods still. It would take him an hour or two to make his way home, and even then, there are chances the sky will have turned dark. He smiled at some of the vendors, those who he has known for years, and those who watched him grow up, his tired feet walking the cobbled streets quickly. Eventually, the rock of the streets turned into dirt, and trees replaced the various shops, taverns, and homes.

The path was fairly silent, the only sound that could be heard being the wildlife around him. Sometimes if he was lucky he saw a deer, and once he even saw a couple of rabbits running around. He had gotten home later the night he saw them, deciding to follow them around as much as he could if only to try and pet them. His mother had yelled at him in concern, but it had been worth it. He listened to the birds, and after what felt like an hour, something that certainly wasn’t wildlife was heard.

“Who’s there?” He called out, nervousness sinking into his bones. There were rarely robbers into the woods at this time. They usually waited for the cover of night. It was too early, but who knows, they might be getting desperate. He took the basket hanging from his arm and held it at arm’s length, waving it around him in self-defense. “I can defend myself!”

A rustle of leaves to his right and a figure emerged from the depths of the wood, a horse following along. Jeremy didn’t even bother trying to see if it was a robber or not, throwing the basket at the man’s face and it hitting him straight on the nose. The figure exclaimed and brought a hand to his nose, rubbing it painfully.

“Why’d you do that?!” The man hissed out, still rubbing at his nose. His curly brown hair was tied at the base of his neck in a ponytail. Freckles covered his face and neck, as well as some of the shoulders from what Jeremy could see. When the man moved his hand away, a red mark could be seen where the basket hit him. “I just wanted directions!”

“It’s nearly night time!” Jeremy defended, hands raising in self-defense. He eyed the basket on the ground before looking back up at the irritated man. If he wasn’t afraid of being robbed of whatever money he had made that day, he would think that he was cute. Scratch that, he’s already thinking it. “You looked like a thief!”

“You think a thief would make sure you saw him?!” The other man exclaimed, exasperation clear in his tone of voice. They stared at each other for a moment, before the maybe-thief bent down to take Jeremy’s basket and give it back to him. “Just.. give me directions to town and I’ll be on my way.”

Jeremy took the basket back, holding it tight enough that his knuckles turned white. He pressed his lips tightly together and looking the man over. He was only a bit taller than him and his features were white enough to show that he didn’t spend a lot of time outside, unlike many of the commoners he saw in town. No dirt was smeared on his face, and his hands looked soft, no traces someone who worked with tools. His clothing looked too fancy to be a normal commoner’s, either. Either he was on the run, or he was rich enough to live comfortably. If he wanted to go to town alone without being robbed, there were little to no chances that it would be the case. But, Jeremy needed to get home, too.

“...I’ll walk you to town,” The blond finally decided with a sigh. At the look he got sent from the brown-haired man in front of him, Jeremy just shrugged and waved a hand at him in general. “You look rich and it’s almost night. You’re gonna get robbed. Now come on, just follow me.”

The walk back was awkward. The tension was so thick you could almost cut it with a knife. though, that might be because of Jeremy’s reaction to the man that came out of the woods. Though, how he thought he wouldn’t be mistaken for a robber with the night quickly approaching, Jeremy had no idea. The blond looked at the man out of the corner of his eye, how the freckles almost looked like tiny constellations on his skin. He was cute, though, there was no mistaking it. 

“So.” Jeremy began, after clearing his throat. The man’s head turned to him a bit, showing he was listening. “What’s your name?”

“Why do you want to know?” The man asks slowly but at Jeremy’s glare, a nervous smile grows on his face. The man seemed deep in thought as if considering telling him his real name. After a minute or two, the brown-haired man sighs. “Mike.”

“And what were you doing in the middle of the forest, Mike?”

“...I had to leave for a little while,” Mike answered, shrugging and tugging a bit so that his horse kept up with him. It was a pure black, and probably the most beautiful one Jeremy had ever seen. It looked well-bred, too, showing how rich Mike probably actually was. “I was told… some shocking news.”  
“Enough to run off into woods?” Jeremy teased, a soft laugh leaving his lips. Mike laughed a bit too, though it sounded a bit more awkward than Jeremy’s was. The sight of the town quickly started growing in the distance, the castle’s highest tower peeking above the trees. Once they were near enough that Mike couldn’t possibly get lost again, Jeremy stopped. “Well. Continue forward and you should be good. It was a pleasure to meet you, Mike.”

“...You too. Despite the basket thrown at my face,” Mike jokingly added, before stretching his hand forward for a shake before mounting his horse and continuing down the path this way. It would probably be faster, anyway. Jeremy stood there for a minute or two longer, watching as the cute boy faded away from view.

The blond sighed as he looked up at the mostly dark sky. He would need to run most of the way if he wanted to be home safe by the time it was completely dark. He would also, most likely be yelled at by his mother. And so, he turned on his heels and started walking away, not noticing that the man came back for a moment if only hoping to ask his name, and finding that the blond was already walking away.


	2. Chapter 2

By the time Jeremy got home, the darkness was so thick around him he could barely see his hands when he brought them to his face. It felt almost crushing, a weight he didn’t want on his shoulders. His hand hovered over the pouch containing the money the whole way home, eyes drifting around him and ears open for any weird sound around him. He didn’t regret helping Mike, but he never felt more terrified of walking home. He wished he had a source of light, or at least a weapon.

He almost cried when the familiar lights of his home could be seen peeking through the leaves. They were almost shy, beckoning him to come closer in its safe warmth. He started running, his basket hanging off his arm and pouch hitting his thigh. The metal pieces inside will probably lightly bruise him, but he didn’t care. He just needed to get home.

He entered the yard, feet running across the beaten path to reach the door. He threw it open and slammed it shut behind him, sliding to the floor and closing his eyes to catch his breath. But, when he opened his eyes again, they widened at the sight of the two women standing there with their arms crossed. Donna’s face was angry, a glare sent his way, while his mother’s expression was cold and closed off.

“Um…” Jeremy sat there for a little bit longer before shakily getting up, a nervous smile stretching on his face. “Miss Jones says hi?”

“And where were you for the past few hours?” Jeremy’s mom began, voice cold and slightly disappointed. There was a faint hint of worry, too, though it seemed to have made its way through without her consent. Gabrielle may be shorter than her son, but it didn’t stop her from being terrifying in Jeremy’s eyes. “You were supposed to come before dark.”

“I sat out on the porch until nine,” Donna added, eyes flashing dangerously under the lights of the home. His sister was terrifying too, and she clearly got her expressions from their mother. The two nearly looked identical at this moment. “Mom had to drag me back in.”

“I was helping a boy out!” Jeremy said in a panic, voice rising dangerously in pitch. Donna’s expression changed from angry, to surprised, to confused, and then finally settled on excited. His mother’s though, remained cold though her eyes showed her exasperation. “He got lost, and… I walked him back to town.”

“He was cute, wasn’t he?” Donna said with amusement and curiosity in her voice as she went and took her brother’s hands in hers and shaking them up and down. Jeremy tried to take them back through being shaken, without much success. Her brown eyes were sparkling and scanning his expression, and when she caught the tiny blush, a squeal rang through the hallway. “Oh, he was! You have to tell me everything!”

Their mother only sighed as the blonde girl dragged her brother to the kitchen, where she let go of his hands and pulled a chair before pushing his brother to sit on it. Jeremy watched as his sister sat in the other nearest chair, the only painted one in the whole house. His sister had painted it with cheap paints when she had turned ten, desperately trying to avoid another session of teachings from their mother.

“Tell me everything. What did he look like? What did he sound like?” She was nearly shaking in her chair, excited to finally get information about who her brother liked out of him. Jeremy had always often kept this to himself, preferring not to drag his family into his reality. He liked men, and that had to not be normal, right? Needless to say, after a stern talking from his mother about keeping things to himself, he started to slowly open up.

“Donna, if you want answers, give time for your brother to answer,” Gabrielle interrupted her endless stream of questions when she entered the room, tiredly sitting in the chair on Jeremy’s left. She looked exhausted, bags under her eyes, and her head resting in her hand, but her eyes looked wide awake as she smiled softly in amusement. She knew that she wouldn’t get to give him more stern talking that night. Besides, Gabrielle was interested in who her son found adorable. “Go ahead, darling.”

“Well, he said his name was Mike…” Jeremy began, nervously scratching his nails on his neck and diverting his eyes away from his family. He knew they accepted him for who he was, he knew they loved him still, but this felt like a test of sorts. A test to see if they truly meant what they had told him two years ago. And so, with a deep breath, he began describing him. The freckles on his face that looked like constellations, the long, curly, clean brown hair and his blue eyes that looked like pure carved ice. He then began describing how he didn’t look like he worked outside every day as he did, and how odd he found it.  
He didn’t notice his mother’s mouth slowly open in shock and her head rise from where it rested.

“Mom?” Donna said, noticing her mother’s reaction. She didn’t fully understand it, and the blonde girl was slightly afraid their mother had changed her mind about what she thought of her brother’s relationships. Jeremy stopped once he heard her sister’s voice and looked in fear at Gabrielle, who quickly shook out of it.

“I… Jeremy, darling..” Gabrielle stared at the table for a moment, her mouth moving as if trying to form a sentence but not being able to. Donna took her mother’s hands in her own and squeezed it lightly, and soon after, Gabrielle looked up with pure shock still on her face. “Jeremy, you met The Prince.”

\---------------

“Make him look charming and marriageable, Master Henry,” Vanessa told the painter, watching with her usual cold eyes as Michael got dragged to one of the assistants. A luxurious vest was laid upon his shoulders, the blue and gold matching the current outfit he was wearing. Master Henry was the family’s painter and the one who painted every portrait Michael could remember. He had been a good friend of his mother, too, so he was the only one from the court he actually respected. The man wasn’t as young as he used to be, glasses perched at the end of his nose and his hands wrinkled from age. He looked about as old as his father, though he looked more approachable than the King was. “We must attract a suitable bride, even if he listens to nothing his father says.”

‘’I shall do my best to please, but I can’t work miracles,” Henry answered, a twinkle in his eyes as he watched Michael get positioned on the fake, wooden horse. It was extremely uncomfortable to sit on, and Henry knew it, so he prepared his brushes and paint as fast as possible and got to work. His nose was raised as he worked, eyes angled so that he could see through the glasses as he worked.

“This is a wonderful canvas, Master Henry,” A new voice claimed, and Michael froze where he sat, the sword being handed to him raised in the air stiffly. His father had decided to come and watch. He knew Michael preferred Henry to the rest of the court and made sure to come so that he felt as uncomfortable as possible and less relaxed. Even with Vanessa there, he had been awkward, but now? Now it was ten times worse.

“Thank you, Sire,” The man said, bowing quickly before going back to work. A grumbled ‘as if he knew anything about art’ was heard, though faint enough that only those close to the painter could hear. And, those closest to the painter were his assistants and Michael, who would never rat him out. The brown-haired man would have snickered at Henry’s answer, though with how cold the room suddenly felt, laughing felt completely out of place.

“Will you really be sending this painting abroad, Father?” Michael asked, trying to keep his voice from showing how scared he was, sitting there. What he said next, though, had a hint of mocks to it. “To induce the high and mighty to attend this ball you insist upon?”

“Yes,” William answered, eyes cold and voice uncomfortably chill sounding as he spoke. He stood in the middle of the room, at an angle where he would be able to see both the canvas and his son at the same time. The man looked like he belonged there, even if nearly no one in the room wanted him there. But, he was the King, and they couldn’t ask him to get out, so they bore it. “Which is tradition, which is beloved. It is the way we will find you a bride.”

“Could I not marry someone from the people?” He tried, staying in position, eyes straight ahead. His mind drifted for a moment to the boy he saw in the woods, and how odd he had been yet how sweet he ended up being. His composition would break if he went to look at his father. He wouldn’t request it anyway, seeing Henry was working and paintings were a very serious affair among the royals. “We are inviting every girl of the kingdom, after all.”

“How many divisions will they provide us?” Vanessa began, taking a step forward. She looked towards William, and for once, she looked slightly panicked and scrambling. She hadn’t been consulted about this, her opinion hadn’t been given. Otherwise, she would have shut it down. “How will she--”

“Stand down, Vanessa,” William commanded, and sure enough, his advisor stopped talking. Her eyes were blown wide as she looked at the King, and she took a step back at the glare she got in answer. “Michael, do you really want to marry someone lesser than you? Someone who hasn’t been taught the ways of the court, someone who worked in the mud?”

“N-no, I suppose not…” He answered, choking on his answer. Henry shot him a sympathetic look, hand tightening on the brush he held.

“I have agreed on the maidens to be invited, but only because you insisted on it,” William told him, not even bothering to raise his voice or change the intonation of it. He knew that whatever he said would be agreed with. “But you have to understand, I will never agree for you to marry someone lesser than yourself.”

And with that, William walked out, the ones who had come with him following. Vanessa looked like she wanted to stay, but decided to storm out and follow the King if only to talk to him about the decision he made without consulting her. Silence remained for a little longer in the room, the only people there being Michael, Henry, his assistants, and two guards.

“Prick.” Henry finally said, and Michael laughed despite his urge to cry.

\---------------

“I still have no idea how you talked me into bringing you to the market,” Jeremy said, holding the same basket he did yesterday. This time around, though, it wasn’t filled with products to sell to the people who would stop by his stand. People walked around, stopping to talk to people, and sometimes bargain for the price of whatever they sold. It was loud, but he felt perfectly right in his place. Silence always made him uncomfortable. “Mom will find a way to make you learn one day, you know,”

“My charm is the reason I’m there,” Donna playfully replied, swinging her own basket around her. It was a miracle she didn’t hit anyone with it just yet, though even if she did, Jeremy doubted she would care much beyond a simple apology. Though, her face quickly cringed at the mention of sewing. “I will avoid learning sewing as long as possible. Taking care of the cows? Sure. But not this. It’s so boring, I don’t know how mom does it.”

“...Because no one else can do it for us anymore?” He proposed to her, before taking her by the wrist and dragging her towards one of the stands. The person on the other side smiled at the sight of them both, having recognized Jeremy. The blond often spoke with Daniel, seeing he was often in the stand next to his when Jeremy came to sell whatever he had that day. He was a good friend. He bargained with the man over the price of the fish he was offered, friendly banter sliding into the conversation as well. Once the fish was secured into Jeremy’s basket, the blond looked over what money they had left. “We have enough left for the meats, and maybe for some vegetables we can’t grow.”

“That’s… nearly not enough,” Donna whispered, hands tightening on her basket. She chewed on her lip and looked into her brother’s basket, seeing the few fish there was in it. It would be enough for a meal or two if they push it. Hopefully, the meat they would buy now and the one that remained from last week would be enough. They could always sacrifice one of the chickens, if need be, and live on soups, but they couldn’t afford to give up too many of their animals. “Jeremy, didn’t you get more yesterday?”

Before the blond could answer, a loud sound echoed around the square. Three men stood on a cheaply looking stage, two with music instruments to their mouth and making the sound they heard. The one in the center stood in bright blue clothing, holding a parchment in front of him. He looked tired and like he would prefer to be anywhere but here. Once enough people gathered around, including Jeremy and Donna in the middle of the tiny crowd, the man cleared his throat and started reading in the most obnoxious voice he could muster.

“Hear ye, hear ye!” He began, already looking extremely red in the face. Glasses were perched on top of his nose, and his eyes were looking over the people that gathered around. The feather on his hat hit him in the face, and he swatted it out of the way before continuing. “Know, on this day, two weeks hence, there shall be held, at the palace, a Royal Ball!”

The crowds immediately started cheering and exclaiming, and Jeremy could feel Donna pull on his sleeve in excitement at the idea of a ball. She looked up at him with her bright happy eyes before looking back towards the weird man, who waited for the voices to die down before continuing to read the parchment over.

“At the said ball, in accordance with ancient customs, the prince shall choose a bride!” He paused to take a breath, and squeals of girls could be heard in the background from excited teen girls. “Furthermore, at the behest of the prince, it is hereby declared that every maiden in the kingdom, be she noble or commoner, is invited to attend!

“Such is the command of our most noble king.” He finally finished, and the people around him started to excitedly start talking to each other, wondering with their friends and family where to go first to start preparing. Donna turned to Jeremy, a wide smile on her face as she tugged on his sleeve and dragged him away from the crowd.

“We have to go tell Mom!” She told him, already walking towards the path that would bring them home. The blonde girl didn’t even listen to Jeremy as they walked along, they didn’t listen to his protest about how they needed to finish buying what they needed. Eventually, when he was about to protest again, she swatted him on the arm. “Come on, aren’t you excited?! You can come with me and you’ll be able to see the cute Prince again!”

Sure enough, that shut Jeremy up. Hope swelled in his chest, though he did not know the hope was for what. That he could see the Prince again and they would fall in love? There was no way. It had been in the announcement, after all. The Prince was searching for a bride. Though… hadn’t he mentioned he had received shocking news? Had he even agreed to this? Surely not, if it had been enough to run off in the middle of the forest.

When they reached the mansion again, Donna released his arm and ran towards the door, laughing as she got in. Jeremy got in soon after, hearing his sister run down the halls to find their mother. The house didn’t have the thickest of walls, making it easy to hear what others had to say when you were on the same floor, and so the blond had little to no problem finding his sister after going to stock the fish they had bought. He would need to go back to buy the other stuff they needed, most likely.

He found Donna sitting next to Gabrielle, holding her hands tightly with a huge smile on her face. She looked like the words might just fall out from her mouth if she didn’t say them soon enough, and their mother looked mildly amused as she waited for her son to sit on the other couch in the room. 

“Alright, what did you want to tell me?” Gabrielle asked after a while, raising a brow in amusement. She didn’t look too tired, and it didn’t look like she forgot anything today. It seemed to be going towards another good day. An unfinished embroidery was sitting on the skirt of her pink dress, the needle discarded somewhere. She had obviously been working on something, though Jeremy couldn’t tell what.

“They’re hosting a ball, Mom!” Donna finally spat out, hope shining on her face as she looked from Gabrielle and towards the smiling Jeremy. “Isn’t that great? Jeremy could come with me, and he could see the Prince again! Can we go? It can’t be that hard--”

“Donna,” Their mother said softly, squeezing her daughter’s hands. She looked up sadly at her and towards her son, her smile gone from her face. Jeremy’s hope burst like a precious piece of glass art falling on the floor and scattering in pieces on the carpet. Jeremy knew already what his mother was gonna say, despite the denial he had allowed to enter his mind. “We don’t have enough money for a new dress and suit, sweetheart…”

“But… But.. surely you have a dress I can borrow right?” She asked nervously, her heart refusing to give up on the hope she had to get Jeremy to see Mike again. “And.. and Jeremy could take on of Dad’s old suits, right?”

“It’s okay, Donna,” Jeremy whispered, getting up slowly. He felt a bit numb from the disappointment and went to kiss his sister on the forehead before leaving the living room and going to his room slowly. “It’s not like I could have ended up with him, anyway.”

At least, that’s what he tried to convince himself.


	3. Chapter 3

The formal invitation arrived that same night. It stayed on the table as they ate, a tension filling the air. Donna kept glancing towards Jeremy, apologies written on her face. Gabrielle, in her case, tried to look as if she had everything together when in reality, she felt terrible for not being able to allow her son and daughter to attend the ball and give Jeremy one last chance to speak to the man he had met in the middle of the woods.

The letter remained on the table during the whole week, and every night Jeremy stared at it as he ate, hand tempted to snatch it and read it for himself. Though he never did, simply finishing his soup instead before going to his room. He locked the door behind himself and sat on the cushion beneath his window, simply staring at the stars and wishing upon each of them every night as his heart drowned in disappointment and sorrow. Towards the end of the first week, he burst into tears in his room, having finally convinced himself that even if he went, the Prince wouldn’t have danced with him or spoken to him at all. After all, he had thrown a basket at his face.

When he reached the end of the second week, the day of the ball, he nearly broke as he watched people walk around talking about what they would wear as they went to the ball. He nearly screamed as he heard talks of what the Prince could possibly be like, he nearly screamed as he heard someone giggle about how they could possibly have a chance with him. Because after all, he wouldn’t even have one. He would be in his own home with his sister, trying to sleep as they heard the fireworks go off.

And then night came, bringing its cover and the start of the event his family wouldn’t even get to attend.

“Jeremy?” Donna asked, sitting next to him on the porch outside of their home. The blond had remained emotionless for most of the week, simply smiling when his sister did something funny when normally his laughter would be booming. Sometimes he didn’t even react when their mother forgot something again, when normally a look of pure heartbreak crossed his face. Donna couldn’t remember the last time he saw him like that. She didn’t even think that not attending would break Jeremy in such a way, when she had been the one excited to attend. “How are you feeling?”

“Fine,” He replied, simply staring straight ahead into the deep woods that surrounded their home. The sound of wheels rolling on the beaten dirt and rock could be heard, as well as loud laughter as it passed by, and Jeremy’s fists simply clenched next to him. He wasn’t fine. He truly wasn’t, but he wasn’t about to admit this to his sister. He was the big brother, he was the one who needed to remain strong. 

“Come on, Jere, I know when you’re not okay,” Donna tried, voice soft. She moved her hand to be on top of Jeremy’s, and she squeezed it reassuringly. Jeremy quickly took his hand away, holding it close to him. “See? You’ve been cold all week, and now you refuse to even be touched! Jeremy, you have never acted this way, even when Dad died!”

“I’m telling you I’m fine, Donna!” Jeremy snapped, and he took a deep breath to calm down when he saw the look of horror on his sister’s face. He had never screamed at her. At least, not since they were children. “You don’t have to push.”

“You know what, fine.” The blonde girl said, getting up from where she sat. She dug into the pocket of her apron and handed him the invitation with her name on it before turning on her heels to make her way back inside. “Come back inside when you decide to stop being a grump.”

Jeremy held the letter in his hand, passing his thumb over the gold markings on the sides. The paper was thick and felt luxurious, obviously having cost more money than Jeremy probably ever owned even with his father alive. The ink was a deep shimmering black under the lights coming from inside the house. A tear rolled down Jeremy’s cheek and fell on the paper, and the man desperately tried to wipe it off to keep the paper from being marked by anything that wasn’t supposed to be on it, like ink. Though more tears fell on the paper, and the blond simply gave up as he put the letters next to him. He felt himself cry, though he had no idea why. He had done his share of crying about this. He didn’t need to do it anymore.

“Come on, stop crying,” A voice said from beside him. One he didn’t recognize. The blond startled and looked over next to him, seeing a figure sitting casually on the porch with him. A cape flowed around them, the fabric a deep shimmering bronze. A hood was lowered over their eyes, though a smile was stretched on their face. “You have no reason to cry, do you?”

“Who are you?” Jeremy asked through his tears, desperately trying to wipe them off. A stranger was sitting there, simply talking to him. He wouldn’t allow his crying to be the first impression they get of him. Though, he did wonder how they got here. They would have needed to pass by around the house, and surely his mother and sister would have seen them. “And… how did you get here?”

“Well well, Jeremy, I thought you would have recognized me,” The voice said, lifting their hood. Green eyes stared back at him, and dark brown hair was tied away from their face. The stranger smiled and got up, taking Jeremy’s hand and dragging him up before putting an arm around his shoulders and guiding him away from the porch and towards the greenhouse. “I am every star you have wished upon, I am every tear you have cried as you watched something you wanted but couldn’t have. I am every laugh you have let out as you walked with those you cared about. I am magic, Jeremy.”

“Yeah sure, you’re magic. Because I would definitely believe that,” The blond said, deciding to humor the stranger. Though, he did lift their arm away from his shoulders and took a few steps to put some distance between them. ”What would you even be doing here, anyway?”

“Very well, don’t believe me,” They shrugged, raising their hands as if giving up and slowly turning around to make their way back from where they came from. “It’s not as if I couldn’t get you to the ball you wished to go to, anyway…”

“Wait, wait, hold on,” Jeremy said after a few seconds, waiting for the last of what they said to sink in. Jeremy’s brown eyes were now wide, and hope started to grow again in his heart, though he tried to suppress it as much as he could. He didn’t want it to crash and shatter as it had before. “You can get me to the ball? How? I’m not… I’m not even invited! I’m not a girl!”

“Not right now, you’re not,” They shrugged, and exasperation appeared on their face as they watched confusion appear on Jeremy’s expression. They sighed and waved their hand, the letter that once was on the porch still, now between their fingers. They waved it in front of the blond’s face, the name of his sister clear as day. “You have your sister’s invitation, don’t you? A quick trick of pretending, and hop, here you go!”

“I-- I can’t--”

“Who said you can’t?” They interrupted him, their head cocking to the side as they watched him shake his head violently no. The amusement was gone, instead changed for seriousness. Their appearance seemed to ripple, changing for one of an obvious boy with high cheekbones, to one of a short girl with chubby cheeks before settling on the form they had moments before. The one that seemed caught between both boy and girl. “I am magic, Jeremy. I look like what I want to look like, and I do not care for what the ones around me think. I can make you look like a woman for one night, if only for you to go and enjoy a night of dancing with that Prince of yours.”

“...And how would you do that?” He asked hesitantly, one hand going to his neck to scratch at it nervously. The blond looked behind him as if trying to see if someone was coming to see what they were doing. When he turned back around, he blinked in surprise at how near the stranger in the bronze cape had gotten. They looked him over, muttering to themselves and nodding along to their thoughts. “Uh.. what are you doing?”

“Well, Jeremy, how we are going to do this is relatively simple,” They said, shrugging. They waved their hand again, the letter disappearing and appearing in Jeremy’s pocket. What looked like a glowing wooden stick was in their hand instead, and had Jeremy been closer, he probably could have figured out what were the symbols carved into the twisted wood. They smiled at him, and with their free hand, waved over the clothing Jeremy had on his back. “We’re going to transform your clothing into, well, a dress.”

“Just do it.” The blond finally sighs out, mentally preparing for the fact that he will be wearing an actual dress instead of a suit at the ball. He would need to pretend to be a girl, too, which will be a pain. Oh, the things he did if only to see Mike again.

The stranger simply sighed and shrugged before waving their wand around. Sparkles twisted around Jeremy, and slowly, without the blond even feeling it, his clothing slowly changed into a dress his sister would wear. The skirt was especially big, layers upon layers of emerald green fabric twisting around him as he moved. The corset was the one thing that especially made him uncomfortable, the thing squeezing him so tightly he could barely breathe. Though, the gemstones sewed in the bodice certainly made it worth it. The puffy sleeves got into his way a bit and the golden gloves that reached his elbows felt weird, as did the earrings hanging off his ears, but all in all, he did look like a girl… if only a bit flatchested.

“I… thank you,” He said, passing his hands over the fabric. It was the most luxurious thing he had ever owned. His voice didn’t sound any different though, and he figured he would probably either have to pretend to be mute or speak with a high pitch. Which, would be incredibly awkward to do. “I don’t know how I can repay you,”

“Have a good time, and invite me to the wedding,” They simply shrugged, and smirked at the glare they got at the last part of their sentence. Though, it didn’t look too annoyed, if only a little bit hopeful. They then made their way inside the greenhouse and went back out with a pumpkin in their arms, which they promptly dumped on the grass. They looked it over, ignoring the look of confusion they got from Jeremy as they waved their wand again and changed the pumpkin into a pure gold carriage. Horses were already there, and someone sat there. They nodded at Jeremy, and the blond simply nodded back in confusion. A footman opened the door for him to get in, but quickly got stopped by the stranger who pointed at his feet. “What are those?”

“...My shoes,” He replied and stretched his feet out from under the skirts, showing off the brown boots he always wore. It was brown and used, holes starting to grow into places. “It’s fine, nobody will see them.”

“Hmm-mm, no.” They declared, before waving their wand again. The boots changed for glass, and much to Jeremy’s surprise, the tiny heels were comfortable despite from which material they were made. And, he could walk into them easily despite having never worn them. A trick from the stranger, he supposed. “There you go. Much better. Now, don’t forget, be back by Midnight.”

“...Why Midnight?” Jeremy asked as he got guided into the carriage, the golden door closing. He still peeked out of the tiny window and at the person in the bronze cape. They approached him with a smile, patted his cheek, and made a signal for the carriage to start moving.

“You don’t want to find out, dear!” They called out, before fading out into the night as if they never existed at all. They left behind a tiny shower of sparkles, which glittered into the night before fading away, too.

As the carriage speed away, a figure stood in front of the window of their room, looking down at the scene in confusion.

“Hey, Mom?” Donna called out, rubbing her eyes to make sure she hadn’t hallucinated the whole thing. “I think Jeremy found a way to get to the ball, in the end!”

\---------------

Michael couldn’t remember the last time there had been so many people in the castle’s gardens. People were streaming in, smiles on their faces as they watched the golden arches and marble of the floor. Laughter echoed around them, along with music coming from the ballroom. They didn’t care that the chandeliers were still being lifted around them, an illusion of happiness stretching in front of their eyes.

Michael just wished he could have been as happy as them, as he stood next to his father. He didn’t know why the man was there, an unusual paleness hiding behind heavy makeup. But, Michael had seen it. His father was sick, and he was trying to hide it from the people he ruled. He didn’t know for how long he had been, and neither did he care. The man had been responsible for so much sadness in his life, he could care less for how healthy he was.

He looked down from the balcony he stood on, watching as people were already starting to talk among themselves. He wished he could join them, start to know what kind of people his father’s subjects were. He listened to the names being called, ranging from the royalty of other kingdoms to more minor nobility. 

“Who are you looking for, Michael,” His father asked in a whisper, his voice weaker than it had been two weeks ago. He looked at his son from the corner of his eyes, hands tightening on the armrests of the throne he sat on. The gold and wine red of the fabric screamed his status at anyone who even bothered to look up at them. “You have been paying a strange amount of attention to the names being called,”

“No one,” He excused, continuing to look at the people streaming in. Michael looked at each of the women in their colorful dresses and who was with them, hoping to see the boy in the forest. He had never learned his name, and he had hoped that maybe, he could talk to him and finally learn his name. Maybe learn who he was as a person, too, while he was at it. It couldn’t hurt. But no, he couldn’t see him. 

“I am not stupid,” His father stubbornly continued, this time twisting around in his seat to have a look at his son. William may have always shown favoritism to Michael’s younger siblings, but he always paid attention to his oldest. Even if it was the negative kind of attention. “There is a reason you asked me if you could marry someone from the people, isn’t there? What is her name, Michael?”

“I’ve never learned it,” He admitted. Granted, it was a slight lie seeing his father apparently thought that he had met a girl when in reality it had been a boy, but what he didn’t know couldn’t hurt him. “She was gone before I could ask,”

“You see her once and your head has already been turned,” William sighed, clear disappointment in his voice. Disappointment over what, Michael didn’t know. Most likely the fact that he had met someone once and he had an interest in them already. “This is why you marry someone like us, Michael. There is no chance of them being… dangerous.”

Silence fell over them, the tension thick. Music played around them, though to Michael’s ears, it seemed almost muted. He was barely aware when he was brought over to a princess by Vanessa, a young lady named Karina. She commented on how their little kingdom was charming, and how much like his picture he looked. He could feel his father’s gaze on his back as he answered, he could feel Vanessa’s cold glare as he said something he shouldn’t have. But, he didn’t care.

The boy still wasn’t there, and Michael doubted he would be.

\---------------

“Why did I think this was a good idea,” Jeremy whispered to himself as he got out of the carriage, heart beating fast in his chest. Fear flooded through him, fear that he would be seen as anything other than a girl. After all, he barely looked like one. He had no chest, his jaw was too angular, his hair wasn’t long enough even if it was in a bun at the base of his neck to show that his hair wasn’t in fact short…. Too many things were wrong. But, there was nervousness, too. What if actually got to dance with Mike? He barely knew how to dance as a girl would. He hoped he wouldn’t mess it up.

He took a deep breath before making his way up the stairs, his legs shaking as they made their way forward. He felt exposed, his shoulders uncovered and too much of the skin of his arms able to be touched. He wondered if this was how his little sister felt every time she wore a dress, he wondered if she ever felt like he did right now. Most likely not, she had been so excited at the idea of going to the ball. He should have brought her with him, even if only one of them could have gotten in. He didn’t want to be alone as he did this.

Yet, he continued forward as the golden doors pulled open for him.

_“Your Majesty, Your Royal Highness…”_

The voice could be heard echoing around the walls around Jeremy, and he couldn’t help but start walking slightly faster. His steps were loud around him, and he wondered if the beating of his heart could be heard, too. He was late, an announcement was being made.

_“My Lords, Ladies, and Gentlemen, Distinguished Visitors and People of Our Land…”_

He was almost there. The doors to the ballroom were so close, he just needed to get there before it ended.

_“The Prince shall now choose his partner for the first dance. Let our ball commence!”_

Just when the man finished his announcement and cleared his throat, Jeremy reached the golden doors and pushed them open. The ballroom was filled with people in colored dresses, the pinks, yellows, and oranges clashing with the gold around them. It oozed luxury and power, and Jeremy suddenly felt very out of place even with a magical dress on his back. The chattering stopped, and every gaze turned to him, staring him down in wonder and curiosity.

He slowly started making his way down the stairs on his right side, not noticing Mike walk away from the princess next to him. Jeremy carefully took his steps down, making sure his glass hells didn’t get caught in the heavy fabric of the dress he wore. Once he finished going up the first set, he nervously tried to remember how to bow as a woman would. He had seen his sister do it, didn’t he? So, he shakily bowed as low as he could, nearly falling on his butt as he did so. How did his sister even stay up?

He slowly got back up and picked up the fabric of his skirt before continuing down the next set of stairs, ignoring the buzzing in his ears of the people whispering. He paused before continuing, breathing as deeply as he could with the damn corset squeezing his internal organs. How did women even breathe in these? They were ridiculous. Still, he continued down the next flight of stairs as gracefully as he could, head held high.

The people moved away from him like water and the blond looked around in confusion as to why they were moving. They were all bowing their heads slightly, and as Jeremy looked up, he saw Mike on the other side of the room. How had he not noticed he was the Prince when he first saw him in the forest? He moved through crowds with the confidence only those born from royalty could have, and he looked so much like the King it was uncanny. Though, perhaps he hadn’t noticed simply because from how at home he seemed in a room full of people from the town, how comfortable he was among them. Jeremy was the same, in a way.

He hadn’t realized they had walked towards each other until he was in front of him, an amused smile on his face.

“Mike, you hadn’t told me you were the Prince,” Jeremy whispered, low enough that only the man in front of him would hear. He didn’t need other people to know that he wasn’t an actual girl. Mike, though? He trusted.

“Would you have believed me?” Michael answered, with a small shrug. He looked Jeremy over, lifting a brow in amusement. “And why are you here in a dress? Striving for the unconventional?”

“I have my reasons,” He answered, faking a mysterious tone. A smile was on his face, though, and his brown eyes were shining under the chandelier hanging from the ceiling. His heart was beating faster, happiness and nervousness making him feel faint. He didn’t know why, though. Must have been the corset. 

“Well, Your Highness,” Michael said in slight amusement, a smile growing on his face too as his blue eyes stared in Jeremy’s owns. “If I may… it would give me the greatest pleasure if you would do me the honor of letting me lead you through this… this…”

“First dance?”

“Yes, that.” He laughed softly, a mix of awkwardness and true happiness. Michael turned his head away if only a little bit, to see his father’s reaction, and found him staring at him. He didn’t care, though, as his head turned back to look at the blond in front of him. At Jeremy’s tiny nod, he hesitantly slipped a hand at the man’s waist, slowly starting to guide him through the classical music playing.

People were in a circle around them as they moved, twisting around as they danced. The blond watched as the people stared at them, but found he didn’t care despite his nervousness. His emerald green skirt glittered around him as he was spun, and when he was brought closer, his hand clasped in Mike’s, his breath hitched in his throat. They were so close. He could see every freckle on Michael’s face, and no doubt that Michael could see the blush on his cheeks. The smile he gave him certainly confirmed it, anyway.

People gasped and moved as they got closer, picking up speed in their dance. Jeremy laughed as he was spun, a huge smile on his face. Oh, coming here in a dress had definitely been worth it. He hadn’t this much fun in a long time. His skirt flared around him, the fabric definitely bigger than he had initially thought. As Michael prepared to lift him up, he shot him a look to ask if it was okay, before lifting him when Jeremy nodded. It was exhilarating, and he even laughed a bit when he got lifted up a second time and people gasped around them. Their faces got incredibly close, close enough Jeremy could have sneaked in a kiss, but he was soon dipped down as the music ended around them. He bowed down deeply as the crowd applauded around them.

“Come with me,” Michael whispered as they picked up dancing again, slowly guiding the man in the emerald dress away from the crowd and down the corridor at the end of the room. As the freckled man closed the door behind him, Jeremy looked around the room, filled with paintings of people he doesn’t even recognize. “I didn’t think I’d see you again,”

“I almost didn’t come,” Jeremy confirmed, his smile turning a bit sad as he turned to look at the Prince. Had he not received help from whoever the ‘magic’ was, he would have never come back and he would have never seen Mike again. “Not that I didn’t want to, but… something almost stopped me.”

“Well, you are here now,” Michael said, taking Jeremy’s hands in his own and kissing his knuckles. “Even if it’s in a dress, pretending to be a woman. You are beautiful.”

“Hm, well I’m not nearly as handsome as you,” Jeremy replied back, watching as the man in front of him turned red and started sputtering. A smirk made his way to his face, though it quickly disappeared with a tiny sigh. “Your name isn’t really Mike, is it?”

“Well, my siblings call me this way, especially when they want something out of me,” He started, amusement in his tone at the end of his sentence. His face tried to show that they annoyed him, but his tone showed he actually cared about them. “Though, my father calls me Michael.”

“Hm, it suits you.”

“Sure, sure.” Michael laughed and took Jeremy’s hand before guiding him to another door, which he opened before guiding him across the halls. Everything seemed gold inside the palace, and the blond seriously wondered if it ever hurt Michael’s eyes to see the same color all the time, before his vision turned green from the number of plants that were in the palace’s garden. 

They walked through it, the music coming from the ballroom could still be heard even deep into the garden, and it set the atmosphere. The night didn’t seem so threatening and sad anymore, seeing he was able to walk with the man he had hoped so fervently to see. He had even danced with him, and Jeremy seriously wondered if it was a dream. After all, someone had appeared next to him and changed his appearance using magic, before watching him leave in a golden carriage made out of one of the pumpkins of his greenhouse.

It felt like they talked for hours, yet only seconds passed by. They were alone, and as they sat at the fountain in the middle of the gardens, the clock didn’t seem so important. But, oh, how wrong he was.

A ring of a bell. Jeremy looked away from Michael’s face and towards the clock on the highest tower of the castle.

A second ring. Jeremy got up from where he sat, apologizing to Michael as he started running away, skirts in his hands. He tried not to stop and turn around as Michael began chasing him, asking him to stop, asking if he had done something wrong.

A third ring. The blond was running through the walls, trying to find his way to the ballroom, where he would be able to find the way he came in from. Guards were shouting as he ran away. Jeremy had to get out.

A fourth ring, then a fifth. He was running through the ballroom, avoiding the people dancing before going for the door. The halls seemed longer as he ran, though perhaps that was just him.

By the sixth ring, he was running down the stairs outside, the prince still chasing him.

"Hold on!" He pleaded, though Jeremy still running away from him. The blond didn't even stop for a second. "If you are to leave, at least tell me your name!"

"I had a great time with you, Mike, but I really have to go!" Was all Jeremy said, before stumbling and losing one of his shoes. He turned around, seeing it on a few steps above him. But already, some of the magic was wearing off, so he simply turned around and continued rushing off.

By the seventh and eight rings, Jeremy was in the carriage as it drove away. His dress was already slowly changing for his old clothing, and his hair was no longer styled the way it had been. He could hear the castle's horses behind him, and he wondered if the prince was with them. Most likely not.

By the ninth ring, the footmen were gone, back into pumpkin leaves. The gold was fading, slowly going back to orange around him. His dress was gone, and he was back into his old clothing.

By the tenth and eleventh ring, Jeremy needed to get out of the pumpkin seeing it was shrinking dangerously, and the driver and horses were mostly gone.

By the twelfth and last ring, the pumpkin was back to what it once had been, sitting in the middle of the road to his house. He ducked out of the way when the castle's horses passed by and crushed the pumpkin, heart pumping in his chest from the running and fear of not making it away in time.

It was over.

Well, mostly over, he told himself as he got up. After all, he had one of the glass heels left on his feet.


	4. Chapter 4

Michael kept the shoe the blond had left behind. It was a pure glass that shone if you brought it to the morning light, and a butterfly was carved on top of it. It certainly looked like something a woman would wear, and the boy might have honestly fooled him at the ball when he arrived had they not met before. The moment he had seen him at the top of the stairs, he recognized that face despite the dress and makeup.

He had been happy, hadn’t he? He had smiled and laughed as they danced, so why did he run away once Midnight around? Why did he run away, panic on his face as the bells rang around him as if announcing his death? Had Michael done the wrong thing, said something he shouldn’t have? It must have been the reason he hadn’t been told his name, right?

“My Prince, your father is waiting,” Vanessa told him, voice tired. She had come to get him from his room, they had walked down the halls and now they were standing in front of his father’s room. Michael could remember entering that room only but a few times as a child, and each time it had been to be yelled at by his father. Though, this time around, the reason was different.

Michael pushed the doors open and entered the large bedroom, where he found doctors standing by his father’s side as he sat in his bed. His deathbed. Because, truly, he was on his way to die. In the next hour, the next day, no one knew. Which was why everything felt frozen in the castle, as it had for his mother. 

“Michael, come sit down,” William told him, voice weaker than it had ever been. It was a weird experience, Michael had to admit. he was used to his father being seen as strong and cold, not as weak and tired. The freckled man slowly made his way towards his father’s side, sitting in the chair next to the bed. He sat straight up, not relaxed in the slightest, he had no idea what his father would say next. “So, did you find that boy?”

“What?” Michael startled, looking at his father in horror. The man looked unhappy, and he had expected him to start ranting about legacies and how he needed a bride, not a husband, but he did nothing of the sort. He just looked… slightly disappointed.

“I have eyes, Michael, and the person who you had eyes for clearly was a boy,” William told him, eyes narrowing. “And he may have fooled most of the population, but not me.”

“What about it?” Michael shot back, eyes narrowing right back. “What will you do about it, Father?”  
“Nothing,” William replied and rolled his eyes at Michael’s shocked expression before coughing harshly on his fist, blood covering most of it. He simply sighed and wiped it off on a cloth next to him, before looking back at his son, gray eyes tired. “Find him and marry him if you choose to, but do not be surprised if the people hate you for it. Do not be surprised if your little brother ends up on the throne.”

Well, that might just have been the closest thing to approval Michael might ever get. So, he got up from his chair and nodded at his father, before leaving his room and letting the doors close behind him. He didn’t notice his father sink into bed and look even more exhausted. Not that he would have cared, anyway. Michael looked over to Vanessa, who stood there waiting for whatever he would say.

“Start a search. Take the glass shoe and bring it to every girl in the Kingdom.” He said, before continuing in a less serious voice. “He must have a woman in his family if he got a letter to get in.”

\---------------

Jeremy remembers the talk he had gotten from both his mother and Donna. It had lasted well into the night, the sun rising when they finally decided to head to bed. The first half had been his mother screaming at him about how dangerous it could have been for him had he been found out, how lucky he had been that apparently, the Prince liked him back. They took the concept of magic surprisingly well, though that might have been because Donna witnessed most of the thing. Needless to say, she teased him a lot during the second part of the discussion, where he talked about his night with stars in his eyes. Jeremy almost wanted to slap Donna behind the day, but instead settled on glaring at her.

Two days after, Donna came back inside after getting the mail, waving a letter in front of Jeremy’s face. The man had snatched it from her hands and read it over, eyes hungrily taking over the information and his thumb stroking over the golden designs on the side of the paper, showing that it was an official royal announcement. He nearly dropped the letter when he finished reading, his eyes looking over to his shaking sister, with a huge smile on his face.

“Michael is looking for me,” He breathed out, nearly crying. “Michael is looking for me. He… he probably knew I had received an invitation somehow, right?”

Donna laughed and threw herself at his neck, hugging him tightly as she laughed in his ears. They swung around the kitchen like this, until their mother found them. Gabrielle had nearly cried when she received the letter and read it, coming over to her son and kissing him on the cheek after patting it.

“You will be so happy, Jeremy,” She had whispered, crying and hugging him too. Her pink dress was still stained in dirt from working in the greenhouse, but neither mother nor son cared about this at the moment. “You found your happiness, darling. You found it.”

The day they came to his house to try the show on Donna’s feet, both siblings sat under the window, watching as horses and carriage arrived in their yard. Their mother was running around, desperately trying to have everything as clean as it could, and tea ready just in case.

“I’m going to go answer it,” Jeremy said, once he heard someone knock at the door. He squeezed Donna’s hand and made a motion with his hand for her to go sit at the chair they had placed in the middle of the living room, right in front of their father’s portrait. They wanted him there, they wanted him to see this happy day. “Go sit down.”

Jeremy made his way towards the door, hands shaking as he opened the door, coming face to face with a tall woman. She was taller than him, and her long platinum blonde hair was tied in an elaborate, clean braid. Her eyes were cold as she stared at him, for a moment, before turning and waving for the man who held the cushion holding the glass shoe- his other glass shoe- to come closer. The man had a hood on, the fabric covering the upper half of his face.

“Please, come inside,” Jeremy greeted, moving away from the door and watching as the two people came in. He and Donna had a planned form, for when she would put the shoe on and find it wouldn’t fit. Because it wouldn’t, not really. The glass had been made to fit his feet perfectly, and only his feet. He could feel it when he walked, it had been the only reason it was so comfortable. “My sister is in the living room,”

“We don’t have a lot of time,” The tall woman said, moving into the living room with the grace of someone who has been around royalty for years. Perhaps the coldness came from the environment, too. “So we would appreciate it if you and your sister did not act as desperate as some others have been,”

The woman stood in the living room, waiting for the man with her to follow along. He entered the room, not noticing how the tall woman stretched out her foot almost absent-mindedly, and when he stumbled, what happened seemed to play out more slowly than it had been.

The man stretched his hands towards the glass shoe, though missed it by an inch and watched it crash on the carpet in front of him. Jeremy and Donna’s eyes both widened in horror as they watched the shards and the tall woman seemed to be quite happy with the outcome.

“What did you do?” The man hissed out, turning around and letting the hood slip from his head. Brown curls tied in a ponytail at the base of the neck, freckles on his face. The Prince was there with them, and he had been the one to carry the precious thing into the home. “You planned this, didn’t you?”

“Y-Your Highness,” Donna stuttered out, shooting a look at her brother before looking back at the Prince who turned around to stare at her. He looked almost confused as if he recognized her but knew it wasn’t the person he looked for. “My-My brother, Jeremy, he has…”

“I have the other shoe, Mike.” Jeremy finally spoke up, looking away from the Prince, who had turned his gaze away from his sister and on him. The blond went to the small wooden chest next to the couch, that they had hidden. He lifted the lid up and took out the other shoe, the butterfly glittering under the lights as he turned around to find Michael staring at him. “I have the other shoe.”

“Guards,” Michael called out, not even bothering to take away his gaze from the blond. His hands were shaking next to him, and he was slowly making his way towards him, ignoring the broken shards. Guards in armor slowly entered the home, waiting for their Prince’s command. “Take Vanessa away. And make sure Father knows of what she’s done.”

The guards took Vanessa by the arms, the men dragging her away as she scowled and screamed every name she could at the two men remaining in the living room. Donna simply watched with a smug smile on her face, pocking her tongue out as she watched the woman being dragged away, before getting up and leaving the living room with a smug smile to find their mother.

“You’re here,” Michael breathed out, once they were both alone in the room. His shaking hands went to Jeremy’s hair, pushing a stray strand away from his eyes and behind his ear. Tears were in his blue eyes, and Jeremy simply smiled softly. “You’re _here._ ”

“I am,” Jeremy confirmed, taking Michael’s hand and holding it to his face, before kissing the palm softly. The blond’s brown eyes were starting to sting with unshed tears too, now, as he was brought in a tight hug soon after. “And I’m not planning on leaving again.”


End file.
